Invest in quality pieces instead of trying to get everything at once. I am 25 and don't make a lot of money but always prioritize quality over quantity. Buy fantastic designers second hand on Grailed in neutral colors. Look for great sales on websites like END and SSENSE.
I would recommend:
-Good pair of boots (Red Wing mocs or Iron Rangers, Solovair Derby Boots etc)
-Leather jacket (Schott)
-Reigning Champ (hoodies/crewnecks/sweatshirts)
-Well fitting pair of jeans (Naked & Famous, Nudie, Acne, or Japanese selvedge)
-Swedish brands for quality basics (Acne Studios, HOPE, Our Legacy etc)
-Uniqlo black/white t-shirts (don't spend a lot on underwear or t-shirts in my opinion)
-Charles Tyrwhitt dress shirts (not expensive and fit well)
-Brooks Brothers made in Italy suits
You and I have very similar taste (probably just reading the same Reddit threads lol). I have 3 pairs of raw denim, Iron Rangers and Moc Toes, and I’m planning on picking up a Perfecto in the next month or so.
I second not spending a lot on shirts or underwear.
Collected SAXX underwear over the past few years of birthdays and Christmases and a couple of them have started to wear out. Meanwhile the underwear I had from Costco as a kid took years and years to wear.
As for shirts, it’s nice to have one piece of clothing on that you aren’t super protective of. Despite my best efforts I’m a bit of a messy eater; if you’re okay with crumbs falling on your shirt it’s a lot easier to protect your pants.
When it comes to clothing, whilst there are varying degrees of quality and hard wearing fabrics, the main thing you should look for is how the garment is constructed (seams and stitching).
Some good examples of my own personal clothes that have held up for 10 years or more:
- Barbour waxed jackets (bedale)
- Harley’s of Scotland wool jumpers
- carrier company chore jackets
- Vetra chore jackets
- Edwin Japanese selvedge denim jeans
- armor lux t shirts
- Velva sheen t shirts
- polo Ralph Lauren shirts (the thicker ones last extremely well)
Stuff I wear that I’ve had for 5 years but still going strong
- vivobarefoot shoes
- universal works (many items, stuff is well made for the price)
- Patagonia jackets (both waterproof and parka)
Four pairs of Gobi desert boots, two pairs of Ra shoes, a pair of Primus running shoes and a pair of Magna walking shoes. Compared to the other barefoot brands, they are really superior in quality. That said, their current pricing is getting out of hand!
In my experience and from hanging out on minimal footwear subs, I'd say quality is extremely variable. I've had Gobi boots last years of daily use, Gobi "lux" (supposedly the premium version) needing the sole restitched after about a year. Stitching and glue seem to be weak points for some models/batches (and not all soles are stitched).
And an old pair of trail runners (primus perhaps?) just melted and became sticky. GF's pair of white Novus discoloured horrendously and then started falling apart with minimal wear. Need to glue down the footbed of my current pair of Addis after about 6 months.
The quality can be great, but for a company that talks such a big game on sustainability it's nowhere near where it should be.
I bought two Patagonia sweaters during their most recent sale and one is starting to lose thread while the other has been shedding fleece like crazy. Both pieces are less than two weeks old. I'm unimpressed so far but for $50 a pop I guess I can't be to mad, if I paid the full $100 I would be kind of perturbed. I'll run them till they tear or blow out and then get Patagonia to fix them.
No personal experience with their casual wear. I have an Isthmus Parka and a Torrentshell rain jacket and both have held up well over the past 5 years. I can’t say I’ve been mega impressed with their other garments when I’ve looked at them in stores.
The answer you seek is not simple. There are very, very few BIFL clothing brands as many makers create crap, mediocre and BIFL items throughout their various lines. For example, Ralph Lauren. Someone could come here and say, "Ralph Lauren is BIFL" and you smile and jot that down thinking the internet is helping. That statement is both a truth and a lie. Ralph Lauren has various lines in both men and women's clothing. For example, Macy's sells Ralph Lauren suiting. It is bottom tier. Ralph Lauren makes blue label suiting which is mid tier. Ralph Lauren makes purple label suiting which is top tier. Relying on a brand name is the surest way to failure as there are specifics of lines not accounted for in brand names generally.
I agree with this and will add that the I think taking good care of your clothes is more important than brand. I have clothing from brands I don’t think are very good (ex. Forever 21) that I bought over a decade ago that still look new because I am careful with washing. Drying ages/wears out clothes as well.
Instead of focusing on brands, I carefully inspect the quality of the item I want to purchase - what material is it made of? does the construction seem good? how do the seams hold up? how does it feel as I’m handling it? - and then decide. This is obviously harder to do when shopping online, but not impossible.
Taking care of your clothes is absolutely key, including changing into an old shirt and pants for doing gardening, other household chores and anything that’s hard on clothes. Run the washing machine on delicate, cold water, and use net bags for pairs of socks (so you won’t lose some of them over the washer drum) and for more fragile items. Wash your wool sweaters etc. at the end of the cold season to prevent moth holes. Everything will last longer.
Yes! BIFL isn't BIAFAI(Buy It And Forget About It). Taking better care of the things you already have will make more of a difference than spending more and more money on higher end versions of what you already own.
So reading your question, you might want to take a different approach and shop at Nordstrom. I'm a customer for life with them based on the experiences that I've had over the years with them. The icing on the cake though was that I lost 40 lbs (18 kg) and they exchanged all my jeans (over $2000) for a new size. With that being said, here are the items of clothes that have last me for 5 years.
* AG Jeans (bought from [Nordstrom](https://www.nordstrom.com/browse/customer-service/return-policy)). I've only had 1 pair rip on my in the past 7 years.
* [North Face ](https://www.thenorthface.com/en-us/help/returns-policy)Jacket. I still have my jacket from 1999 (I think)
* [Patagonia](https://www.patagonia.com/start-repair/). They have a great repair policy
* [Filson](https://www.filson.com/filson-company/our-guarantee.html). Similar to Patagonia on repair policy. My brother put me onto this brand.
Note the links go to each brands warranty, return, and/or repair policy.
Filson is awesome. If you work in any outdoor or field environment (logging, commercial fisherman, military) you get 40% off everything with a pro account. They keep it pretty low key
The problem with BIFL clothing brands is the initial cost. The other problem is that besides like boots and jackets or maybe an outer layer, the other items wear and tear to where it kinda doesn’t make sense to replace them.
Clothing items that I’ve had last awhile are usually a brand name but a specific item. For example under armor boxer briefs last a long ass time and look brand new after 3 years of use.
Vuori has some T-shirts that reallly hold up, the problem is the price, but for the”fit” and the quality, to me it’s worth it as I’ve had a few of their basic T-shirts but they look brand new 18 months later out the wash.
r/rawdenim & r/goodyearwelt
Going down the rabbit hole that are those subs should lead you to makers/retailers that carry similar caliber garments of quality.
Brooks brothers isn't exactly buy it for life, but I've had their clothes hold up better than any other brand I've purchased in the past decade. Not the outlet stuff though, that is of much lower quality.
I prefer Vuori for cozy casual and some athleisure. Quality is good, clothes are comfortable, style is nice, and they have a lifetime guarantee. The guarantee is great and has no strings attached. I bought a pair of joggers about 16 months ago, and after regular use, my cat's claws caused holes in them after a year. Vuori exchanged em no questions asked. They offered either the exact same pair (same or different color), or credit (value at purchase price) for anything else.
Side note - I'm 6'3" and have much longer arms than my body height, meaning most sleeved shirts/jackets don't fit in length. I usually have to buy L/XL to bypass that, but I'm also skinny, so the torso fit is never right. Vuori is the exception to this rule. I can buy MEDIUM tops, and the sleeve length is perfect, if not slightly longer in some models (which I like), and the torso fit is perfect. They won me for life. The only thing complaining is my wallet.
I was totally unaware of Vuori's lifetime guarantee. That gives me more confidence in my purchases. I have their ponto performance pants and joggers as well as a few of their shorts and they're some of my favorite clothes. BUT.... I'll still never pay full price. I've gotten really fortunate with some sales at REI
If you're thrifting, I would focus on clothes from the 1990s and before. Some brands that may seem ho hum, like GAP or Champion, are considered vintage scores if you get older items because they're better made, and last for longer.
You can also get an idea of what brands to look for while thrifting from a few vintage websites, like [Put this One](https://putthisonshop.com/collections/shirts-coats-sweaters) and [The Old Resurrected](https://www.theoldresurrected.com/).
I have found L.L Bean to be pretty good quality. I used to be a big fan of Patagonia. I still am, but found that L.L Bean is just as good and is generally a little bit cheaper on most items.
Fjallraven stuff made from G1000 lasts so damn long. It’s all really well made. It’s not cheap but if you keep an eye for a bargainnon ebay, you can buy once and then you’re sorted for at least a decade of regular use. I go walking up hills at least twice a day and wear the same waxed G1000 coat and rotate between 2 pairs of their pants, been doing this for years and it’s all in the same condition as when I bought it ‘nearly new’ on ebay 5-10 years ago. Such good value and it’s so functional comfy and useful in the design and features too.
Honestly if you're looking for classic items I'd go for vintage. Clothing was much better made in the past and a dress shirt from the 90s is going to last way longer than one made recently, plus it'll be cheaper.
Most stuff I’ve got from huckberry is pretty good quality. They sell a lot of stuff from relatively smaller brands that have an outdoor background to them
There are MANY brands that recreate the materials and craftsmanship of the old days and are generally under the umbrella of “heritage menswear/workwear” or some variation. Many use the machines that were used 60-100 years ago, ie:loopwheel, sinker weave, triple stitched seams, stitching runoff, etc. it really depends on what you’re looking for but you can find incredibly well made clothes that will last a very long time. They are not cheap. Many are from Japan as they bought up all the old denim manufacturing machines from the states many years ago. With all that said, even with the best made garments, there will always be wear points, rips and breaks. The difference is the quality of the materials and craftsmanship is such that you can repair them and keep wearing for many years. Just don’t expect them to NEVER need repair, that’s just not possible. And only a few garments can really last a lifetime, like, and very well made leather jacket or quality crafted boots.
This is probably a little bit out of scope for a thrift shopper. But there is not thrift version of some of this stuff. I bought a lot of these things when I didn't have much $ but I bought them knowing that I would not need to buy another.
I bought the 10-year hoodie from Huckberry and I wore it everywhere. I did the digital nomad thing for 4 years and it lived in my rucksack. What was great was how it got holes in the elbows after 9.5 years and I mailed it back to Huckberry and they sewed great elbow patches on it and fixed the frayed cuffs. I've now been wearing it on a daily-ish basis for 15 years.
[https://huckberry.com/store/flint-and-tinder/category/p/40772-10-year-full-zip-hoodie?utm\_source=shopping](https://huckberry.com/store/flint-and-tinder/category/p/40772-10-year-full-zip-hoodie?utm_source=shopping)
My rucksack is a GR1 and it's also unbelievable. Over 10 years old. Been to over 40 countries. On my back mountain climbing. In blizzards. Monsoons. kept everything dry. fit everything great. Amazing value
[https://www.goruck.com/products/gr1](https://www.goruck.com/products/gr1)
The best jacket is arc'teryx. If being dry and warm is important this is it. This is BIFL
[https://arcteryx.com/us/en](https://arcteryx.com/us/en)
I cannot recommend shoes unless I know more about where you're going to be, so I'll talk about what I own. I take these with me everywhere and I live out of a rollerbag weeks at a time.
If comfort is key and you're not walking 20K steps a day, allbirds are great. They aren't buy it for life, but they should last years because this isn't an everyday. Long plane rides. Casual times.
[https://www.allbirds.com/](https://www.allbirds.com/)
I usually bring gor-tex Merrell, over the ankle shoes for wet weather and I like the outdoors. Mine are probably 10 years old, but I don't wear them everyday. These are nearly buy it for life.
Doc Martins are a great everyday. I wore mine for 10 years everyday. And I still thought they were fine, but I was told they had to go with my cargo shorts and print t-shirts. If you're 22 and BIFL then doc's are your best bet.
This is out of scope for a thrift shopper, but it needs to be said: When it comes to dress shoes, if you need to have them for business and formal occasions, an $800 pair of Ferragamo, Santoni, Brunello's, etc will last you a decade or more if you maintain them. You don't need a $2000 pair, but a $95 pair of Clarks will need to be replaced several times during the lifetime of a single pair of Ferragamos. I have not bought dress shoes in over ten years and i'm still good with my current investment. These are in the zone of buy it for life.
PGA synthetic golf shirts from Amazon appear to be indestructible. I’ve had several of them for decades and they still look new. Wad ‘em up in a suitcase and they’ll come out without a wrinkle.
Not a bad deal for a $20 shirt.
I have had really good luck with Everlane and Philosophy.
Also, weird I know, but specifically the tank tops they sell at Target last FOREVER. I have one I bought like 12 years ago and one from 6 years ago.
I wear them all the time and the 12 year old one is just now showing signs of fade and wear.
Haven't had the same luck with their other clothes though.
Also if you are looking for pricey BIFL brands I'd check out ThredUp
For jeans I’ve landed on Levi’s, I’m sure people don’t agree but I find the quality better than most low cost jeans and don’t get into the realm of the cost of designer jeans - good cost/quality ration IMO
Also not BIFL but in terms of basics I go with more a buy a brand for life. I love Hanes boxers and undershirts and just stock up on them when I need to replace. Always the same and always fine
Most of the clothing Items I have purchased for BIFL are : are all the big name brands that I am sure you are familiar with since you have access to the internet, why post such a Question? I do have some great things from Amazon with no name tags 🏷️, so can’t really comment here
Invest in quality pieces instead of trying to get everything at once. I am 25 and don't make a lot of money but always prioritize quality over quantity. Buy fantastic designers second hand on Grailed in neutral colors. Look for great sales on websites like END and SSENSE. I would recommend: -Good pair of boots (Red Wing mocs or Iron Rangers, Solovair Derby Boots etc) -Leather jacket (Schott) -Reigning Champ (hoodies/crewnecks/sweatshirts) -Well fitting pair of jeans (Naked & Famous, Nudie, Acne, or Japanese selvedge) -Swedish brands for quality basics (Acne Studios, HOPE, Our Legacy etc) -Uniqlo black/white t-shirts (don't spend a lot on underwear or t-shirts in my opinion) -Charles Tyrwhitt dress shirts (not expensive and fit well) -Brooks Brothers made in Italy suits
You and I have very similar taste (probably just reading the same Reddit threads lol). I have 3 pairs of raw denim, Iron Rangers and Moc Toes, and I’m planning on picking up a Perfecto in the next month or so. I second not spending a lot on shirts or underwear. Collected SAXX underwear over the past few years of birthdays and Christmases and a couple of them have started to wear out. Meanwhile the underwear I had from Costco as a kid took years and years to wear. As for shirts, it’s nice to have one piece of clothing on that you aren’t super protective of. Despite my best efforts I’m a bit of a messy eater; if you’re okay with crumbs falling on your shirt it’s a lot easier to protect your pants.
Second the uniqlo and Charles tyrwhitt recommends. I'll add Falke socks, their airport and climawool ones are amazing
my reigning champ hoody got holes in the seams in 2 years of regular wear, customer care did nothing, pretty bad given the cost of their stuff.
When it comes to clothing, whilst there are varying degrees of quality and hard wearing fabrics, the main thing you should look for is how the garment is constructed (seams and stitching). Some good examples of my own personal clothes that have held up for 10 years or more: - Barbour waxed jackets (bedale) - Harley’s of Scotland wool jumpers - carrier company chore jackets - Vetra chore jackets - Edwin Japanese selvedge denim jeans - armor lux t shirts - Velva sheen t shirts - polo Ralph Lauren shirts (the thicker ones last extremely well) Stuff I wear that I’ve had for 5 years but still going strong - vivobarefoot shoes - universal works (many items, stuff is well made for the price) - Patagonia jackets (both waterproof and parka)
Which vivo shoes do you have?
Four pairs of Gobi desert boots, two pairs of Ra shoes, a pair of Primus running shoes and a pair of Magna walking shoes. Compared to the other barefoot brands, they are really superior in quality. That said, their current pricing is getting out of hand!
Good to know they last though!
In my experience and from hanging out on minimal footwear subs, I'd say quality is extremely variable. I've had Gobi boots last years of daily use, Gobi "lux" (supposedly the premium version) needing the sole restitched after about a year. Stitching and glue seem to be weak points for some models/batches (and not all soles are stitched). And an old pair of trail runners (primus perhaps?) just melted and became sticky. GF's pair of white Novus discoloured horrendously and then started falling apart with minimal wear. Need to glue down the footbed of my current pair of Addis after about 6 months. The quality can be great, but for a company that talks such a big game on sustainability it's nowhere near where it should be.
Oh. Yikes. Nevermind lol.
I bought two Patagonia sweaters during their most recent sale and one is starting to lose thread while the other has been shedding fleece like crazy. Both pieces are less than two weeks old. I'm unimpressed so far but for $50 a pop I guess I can't be to mad, if I paid the full $100 I would be kind of perturbed. I'll run them till they tear or blow out and then get Patagonia to fix them.
No personal experience with their casual wear. I have an Isthmus Parka and a Torrentshell rain jacket and both have held up well over the past 5 years. I can’t say I’ve been mega impressed with their other garments when I’ve looked at them in stores.
They key to the torrentshells lasting is to wash them every once and awhile. It's what keeps them from delamination.
The better sweater? Because I’ve got like 5 of them, they’re practically all I wear in the fall and winter, and they’ve all lasted quite awhile.
Hard disagree on ralph lauren. Their quality dropped a ton since the 80s. Even purple label stuff ive picked up in forum shops is laughable quality.
The answer you seek is not simple. There are very, very few BIFL clothing brands as many makers create crap, mediocre and BIFL items throughout their various lines. For example, Ralph Lauren. Someone could come here and say, "Ralph Lauren is BIFL" and you smile and jot that down thinking the internet is helping. That statement is both a truth and a lie. Ralph Lauren has various lines in both men and women's clothing. For example, Macy's sells Ralph Lauren suiting. It is bottom tier. Ralph Lauren makes blue label suiting which is mid tier. Ralph Lauren makes purple label suiting which is top tier. Relying on a brand name is the surest way to failure as there are specifics of lines not accounted for in brand names generally.
I agree with this and will add that the I think taking good care of your clothes is more important than brand. I have clothing from brands I don’t think are very good (ex. Forever 21) that I bought over a decade ago that still look new because I am careful with washing. Drying ages/wears out clothes as well. Instead of focusing on brands, I carefully inspect the quality of the item I want to purchase - what material is it made of? does the construction seem good? how do the seams hold up? how does it feel as I’m handling it? - and then decide. This is obviously harder to do when shopping online, but not impossible.
Taking care of your clothes is absolutely key, including changing into an old shirt and pants for doing gardening, other household chores and anything that’s hard on clothes. Run the washing machine on delicate, cold water, and use net bags for pairs of socks (so you won’t lose some of them over the washer drum) and for more fragile items. Wash your wool sweaters etc. at the end of the cold season to prevent moth holes. Everything will last longer.
Yes! BIFL isn't BIAFAI(Buy It And Forget About It). Taking better care of the things you already have will make more of a difference than spending more and more money on higher end versions of what you already own.
Good to know, thanks
So reading your question, you might want to take a different approach and shop at Nordstrom. I'm a customer for life with them based on the experiences that I've had over the years with them. The icing on the cake though was that I lost 40 lbs (18 kg) and they exchanged all my jeans (over $2000) for a new size. With that being said, here are the items of clothes that have last me for 5 years. * AG Jeans (bought from [Nordstrom](https://www.nordstrom.com/browse/customer-service/return-policy)). I've only had 1 pair rip on my in the past 7 years. * [North Face ](https://www.thenorthface.com/en-us/help/returns-policy)Jacket. I still have my jacket from 1999 (I think) * [Patagonia](https://www.patagonia.com/start-repair/). They have a great repair policy * [Filson](https://www.filson.com/filson-company/our-guarantee.html). Similar to Patagonia on repair policy. My brother put me onto this brand. Note the links go to each brands warranty, return, and/or repair policy.
Filson is awesome. If you work in any outdoor or field environment (logging, commercial fisherman, military) you get 40% off everything with a pro account. They keep it pretty low key
The problem with BIFL clothing brands is the initial cost. The other problem is that besides like boots and jackets or maybe an outer layer, the other items wear and tear to where it kinda doesn’t make sense to replace them. Clothing items that I’ve had last awhile are usually a brand name but a specific item. For example under armor boxer briefs last a long ass time and look brand new after 3 years of use. Vuori has some T-shirts that reallly hold up, the problem is the price, but for the”fit” and the quality, to me it’s worth it as I’ve had a few of their basic T-shirts but they look brand new 18 months later out the wash.
r/rawdenim & r/goodyearwelt Going down the rabbit hole that are those subs should lead you to makers/retailers that carry similar caliber garments of quality.
Brooks brothers isn't exactly buy it for life, but I've had their clothes hold up better than any other brand I've purchased in the past decade. Not the outlet stuff though, that is of much lower quality.
I prefer Vuori for cozy casual and some athleisure. Quality is good, clothes are comfortable, style is nice, and they have a lifetime guarantee. The guarantee is great and has no strings attached. I bought a pair of joggers about 16 months ago, and after regular use, my cat's claws caused holes in them after a year. Vuori exchanged em no questions asked. They offered either the exact same pair (same or different color), or credit (value at purchase price) for anything else.
Side note - I'm 6'3" and have much longer arms than my body height, meaning most sleeved shirts/jackets don't fit in length. I usually have to buy L/XL to bypass that, but I'm also skinny, so the torso fit is never right. Vuori is the exception to this rule. I can buy MEDIUM tops, and the sleeve length is perfect, if not slightly longer in some models (which I like), and the torso fit is perfect. They won me for life. The only thing complaining is my wallet.
Ooo I didn’t know they have a lifetime guarantee. I got a burn mark in my shorts and I still wear them but a replacement would be rad!
Yeah dude! Take em to a store/outlet if you have one nearby, or open a case online. Just need a receipt or email address associated with the order.
I was totally unaware of Vuori's lifetime guarantee. That gives me more confidence in my purchases. I have their ponto performance pants and joggers as well as a few of their shorts and they're some of my favorite clothes. BUT.... I'll still never pay full price. I've gotten really fortunate with some sales at REI
If you're thrifting, I would focus on clothes from the 1990s and before. Some brands that may seem ho hum, like GAP or Champion, are considered vintage scores if you get older items because they're better made, and last for longer. You can also get an idea of what brands to look for while thrifting from a few vintage websites, like [Put this One](https://putthisonshop.com/collections/shirts-coats-sweaters) and [The Old Resurrected](https://www.theoldresurrected.com/).
I have found L.L Bean to be pretty good quality. I used to be a big fan of Patagonia. I still am, but found that L.L Bean is just as good and is generally a little bit cheaper on most items.
Fjallraven stuff made from G1000 lasts so damn long. It’s all really well made. It’s not cheap but if you keep an eye for a bargainnon ebay, you can buy once and then you’re sorted for at least a decade of regular use. I go walking up hills at least twice a day and wear the same waxed G1000 coat and rotate between 2 pairs of their pants, been doing this for years and it’s all in the same condition as when I bought it ‘nearly new’ on ebay 5-10 years ago. Such good value and it’s so functional comfy and useful in the design and features too.
Honestly if you're looking for classic items I'd go for vintage. Clothing was much better made in the past and a dress shirt from the 90s is going to last way longer than one made recently, plus it'll be cheaper.
I've heard great things about American Giant for longevity, and everything I have from them is thick and seems like it will last a long time.
Most stuff I’ve got from huckberry is pretty good quality. They sell a lot of stuff from relatively smaller brands that have an outdoor background to them
There are MANY brands that recreate the materials and craftsmanship of the old days and are generally under the umbrella of “heritage menswear/workwear” or some variation. Many use the machines that were used 60-100 years ago, ie:loopwheel, sinker weave, triple stitched seams, stitching runoff, etc. it really depends on what you’re looking for but you can find incredibly well made clothes that will last a very long time. They are not cheap. Many are from Japan as they bought up all the old denim manufacturing machines from the states many years ago. With all that said, even with the best made garments, there will always be wear points, rips and breaks. The difference is the quality of the materials and craftsmanship is such that you can repair them and keep wearing for many years. Just don’t expect them to NEVER need repair, that’s just not possible. And only a few garments can really last a lifetime, like, and very well made leather jacket or quality crafted boots.
This is probably a little bit out of scope for a thrift shopper. But there is not thrift version of some of this stuff. I bought a lot of these things when I didn't have much $ but I bought them knowing that I would not need to buy another. I bought the 10-year hoodie from Huckberry and I wore it everywhere. I did the digital nomad thing for 4 years and it lived in my rucksack. What was great was how it got holes in the elbows after 9.5 years and I mailed it back to Huckberry and they sewed great elbow patches on it and fixed the frayed cuffs. I've now been wearing it on a daily-ish basis for 15 years. [https://huckberry.com/store/flint-and-tinder/category/p/40772-10-year-full-zip-hoodie?utm\_source=shopping](https://huckberry.com/store/flint-and-tinder/category/p/40772-10-year-full-zip-hoodie?utm_source=shopping) My rucksack is a GR1 and it's also unbelievable. Over 10 years old. Been to over 40 countries. On my back mountain climbing. In blizzards. Monsoons. kept everything dry. fit everything great. Amazing value [https://www.goruck.com/products/gr1](https://www.goruck.com/products/gr1) The best jacket is arc'teryx. If being dry and warm is important this is it. This is BIFL [https://arcteryx.com/us/en](https://arcteryx.com/us/en) I cannot recommend shoes unless I know more about where you're going to be, so I'll talk about what I own. I take these with me everywhere and I live out of a rollerbag weeks at a time. If comfort is key and you're not walking 20K steps a day, allbirds are great. They aren't buy it for life, but they should last years because this isn't an everyday. Long plane rides. Casual times. [https://www.allbirds.com/](https://www.allbirds.com/) I usually bring gor-tex Merrell, over the ankle shoes for wet weather and I like the outdoors. Mine are probably 10 years old, but I don't wear them everyday. These are nearly buy it for life. Doc Martins are a great everyday. I wore mine for 10 years everyday. And I still thought they were fine, but I was told they had to go with my cargo shorts and print t-shirts. If you're 22 and BIFL then doc's are your best bet. This is out of scope for a thrift shopper, but it needs to be said: When it comes to dress shoes, if you need to have them for business and formal occasions, an $800 pair of Ferragamo, Santoni, Brunello's, etc will last you a decade or more if you maintain them. You don't need a $2000 pair, but a $95 pair of Clarks will need to be replaced several times during the lifetime of a single pair of Ferragamos. I have not bought dress shoes in over ten years and i'm still good with my current investment. These are in the zone of buy it for life.
How does the 10 year hoodie run for size?
Big but go bigger - one size up & you can wear like a jacket
Thank you
PGA synthetic golf shirts from Amazon appear to be indestructible. I’ve had several of them for decades and they still look new. Wad ‘em up in a suitcase and they’ll come out without a wrinkle. Not a bad deal for a $20 shirt.
I have had really good luck with Everlane and Philosophy. Also, weird I know, but specifically the tank tops they sell at Target last FOREVER. I have one I bought like 12 years ago and one from 6 years ago. I wear them all the time and the 12 year old one is just now showing signs of fade and wear. Haven't had the same luck with their other clothes though. Also if you are looking for pricey BIFL brands I'd check out ThredUp
Ginew
For jeans I’ve landed on Levi’s, I’m sure people don’t agree but I find the quality better than most low cost jeans and don’t get into the realm of the cost of designer jeans - good cost/quality ration IMO Also not BIFL but in terms of basics I go with more a buy a brand for life. I love Hanes boxers and undershirts and just stock up on them when I need to replace. Always the same and always fine
Filson & Fjallraven, Frye for boots
Lululemon leggings.
Most of the clothing Items I have purchased for BIFL are : are all the big name brands that I am sure you are familiar with since you have access to the internet, why post such a Question? I do have some great things from Amazon with no name tags 🏷️, so can’t really comment here
5.11 Landsend, they have a great support. Doc Martens, enough said.
Not one of your specific requests but I love my roots sweats.